Systems and methods for providing remote incoming call notification for cellular phones

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a remote notification to a user of a cellular, or mobile, phone as the result of a particular activity or any activity at all (e.g., an incoming call from a particular person, group, or just an incoming call). In one embodiment, a sensing device is provided on the cellular phone that communicates/routes an alert to a remote notification device. In one economical embodiment, the notification device may have a short wire-based communication channel (e.g., roughly 1 foot to 5 feet) and only have a single output device (e.g., a light-emitting device). Thus, a woman may be able to quietly receive notifications of a cell phone event when her cell phone is stored in her purse.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/797,801 filed on Mar. 9, 2004 which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/455,218 filed on Mar. 14, 2003which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cellular notifications. Onenotification in which the present invention is particularly useful isfor incoming call notifications. Traditional incoming call notificationdevices for cellular phones are deficient because they exist physicallyon the cellular phone.

Currently, mobile phones, and devices cable of receiving wirelesslytransmitted calls, generally have two schemes of notifying a user ofincoming calls when that user has the phone stored, for example, in auser's purse. The first scheme provides signals that may be heard by theuser (e.g., ring tones or beeps). The second scheme provides a tactilesignal (e.g., a vibration).

However, both of these signals originate physically from the cell phoneand some user's do not store his/her cell phone in a location wherethese signals can be recognized. For example, women usually store theircells phones in a purse. Here, when a cell phone rings, the ring can bemissed by the audible dampening effects of the user's purse.Additionally, a vibrating cell phone can not be physically sensed by auser if that cell phone is in a remote storage location with a tactiledampening effect (e.g., a purse).

It is therefore desirable to provide systems and methods that allowincoming calls to be recognized by a user even when the user cannot hearor sense audio signals or vibration signals (e.g., incoming callnotification signals) emanating from that user's cell phone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide systems and methodsthat allow incoming calls, or other cell phone events or notifications,to be recognized by a user even when the user cannot hear or sense audiosignals or vibration signals physically emanating from the cellularphone.

In one embodiment, a user signaling device is provided at the end of anextension that is connectable to a user's cell phone. The device candetect when there is an incoming call, or other action that the userdesires to be notified of (e.g., a calendar reminder), and provide asupplemental notification signal to the user. A clip, or other attachingdevice, may be included on the user signaling device so that the usermay attach the signaling device in a position where that user can detectthe devices incoming call notifications (e.g., on a purse strap or on apiece of clothing). Notifications can take the form of audible signals(e.g., cell phone rings), mechanical signals (e.g., vibrations, or anyother type of notification signal (e.g., light pulses).

A wireless user signaling device does not need an extension. Instead,the user signaling device may be notified of incoming calls wirelesslyby a notification transmitting device attached to the cellular phone.Alternatively, the user signaling device may communicate wirelessly withthe cellular phone itself. The user signaling device may be set up toprovide different types of signals that a user can distinguish dependanton what the cellular phone is trying to notify the user about (e.g.,calendar event, incoming call, missed call, new message). A wirelessuser signaling device may be attached to remote areas on the user. Forexample, a wireless user signaling device may be attached to a user'swatch, clothing, or glasses. A wireless user signaling device may beintegrated into a user's glasses, contacts, or clothing.

The user signaling device may also be provided as software in adifferent device that the user is already in a position to receivenotification signals from. For example, if the user has a beeper and acellular phone, the user signaling software may be utilized such thatthe beeper vibrates whenever the cellular phone receives, for example,an incoming call signal. In another embodiment, a user's watch mayvibrate whenever that users cellular phone desires to contact the userand notify the user of, for example, an incoming call.

Inexpensive systems may be constructed that may still offer a greatutility to a user. For example, one notification device may consist ofonly a light emitting device (e.g., an LED) and related circuitry. Anextension may connect the device to a cellular phone. Such a device, andsimilar devices that only consist of a few (e.g., one or two) types ofnotification with little other functionality may provide a veryinexpensive, but desired, function to a user.

Another type of routing communications from a cellular phone is anautonomous recognition of a cellular phone notification. Although such ascheme may be difficult for a remote notification device that forwardsmultiple types of notifications, such a scheme may be very useful forrouting a small number of notifications to a user. For example, avibrational sensor may be coupled to a remote notification device via anextension. Such a sensor may be attached (e.g., velcroed) to a cellularphone such that when the phone vibrates (or vibrates in a certainmanner) the remote notification device produces a notification signal(e.g., the device emits light, sound, or tactile signal). Some cellularphones vibrate differently for different alerts. For example, a cellularphone may vibrate multiple times for an incoming call but only once fora calendar event. Such a vibrational sensor may be coupled to controlcircuitry that may, for example, distinguish such alerts and provide adifferent type of remote alert to a user (e.g., different colors oflight may be emitted).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The principles and advantages of the present invention can be moreclearly understood from the following detailed description considered inconjunction with the following drawings, in which the same referencenumerals denote the same structural elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a non-wireless remote cell phonenotification device and cell phone constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a wireless remote cell phone notificationdevice and cell phone constructed in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an autonomous remote cell phonenotification device and cell phone constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a remote cell phone notification devicetopology constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a process flow chart of a remotenotification device constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts environment 100 that includes cell phone 101 and remotenotification device 130. Cell phone 101 includes communication device112. Remote notification device 130 includes communication device 111.Generally, remote notification device 130 responds to signals fromcommunication device 112 and alerts a user of a cell phone activity orevent. For example, remote notification device 130 may alert a user whencell phone 101 receives an incoming call, a calendar notificationoccurs, a reminder occurs, a missed call occurs, a new voice or textmessage is received, or any other cell phone activity.

Communication devices 112 may be, for example, the headset (e.g.headphone) output, input/output connection, speaker, or vibrationaloutput of cell phone 101. For cellular phones that produce a ring in aheadset when an incoming call is received, the headset output mayprovide a universal way for remote notification device 130 tocommunicate with cell phone 101. In other words, each cell phone model,or the cell phones of a particular carrier, may have different types ofinput/output contacts. If, for example, the headphone jack is utilizedas communication device 112, remote notification device 130 may not needto be reconfigured with a different communication device 111 fordifferent cell phone models.

In this manner, communication device 112 may be the speaker or vibrationdevice of cellular phone 101. Thus, communications device 111 may detectthe audible signals or vibrations that emanate from cell phone 101.Furthermore, utilizing the input/output communication contacts of cellphone 101 as communication device 112 allows for remote notificationdevice 130 to not only receive communication signals from cell phone 101but also allows remote notification device 130 to send communicationsignals to cell phone 101 (e.g. a signal to pick up the phone, voicesignals to talk via cell phone 101).

The microphone jack may also be connected to remote notification device130 such that remote notification device may be utilized to receivevoice signals from the headphone jack of cell phone 101 and providevoice signals to the microphone jack of cell phone 101. In this manner,a user can recognize an incoming call, communicate to, for example, cellphone 101 that he/she wishes to have a conversation, and send/receivevoice signals through remote communication device 130.

Remote communication device 130 may include battery 136 or may bepowered from the power supply of cell phone 101. Remote communicationdevice 130 may also include attaching device 131 which may be, forexample, a clip, belt, band, chain, or any other attaching, securing,bonding, or affixing device. Remote notification device 130 may signal auser of a cell phone action (e.g., incoming call) through, for example,light emitting device 134, speaker 132, vibrating device 135, and/or anyother device that a user can recognize a signal from.

FIG. 2 depicts environment 200 that includes cell phone 201 and remotenotification device 230. Remote notification device 230 includeswireless communications device 231 that can communicate with a wirelesscommunications device located on cell phone 201. Communications device211 may also be connected to cell phone 201 and may be utilized totransmit/receive signals wirelessly to/from remote notification device230 through communications port 212. Communications device 211 mayinterface with cell phone 201 at cell phone communications port 212, orhave any function or attribute, similar to the interfacing of,functionality, or attributes included in communications device 111 ofFIG. 1 can interface with cell phone 101 of FIG. 1.

In simple embodiments, communications device 211 (or cell phone 201)only sends communications signals to remote notification device 230. Asa result communications device 211 (if needed) and communications device231 can be manufactured for a small cost.

Remote notification device 230 may be embedded into a device that iscommonly used by users (e.g., a watch, glasses, clothing) and may attachto a user by a variety of devices (e.g., bands 237 and buckle 239).Additionally, the functionality of remote notification device 230 may beembedded into a device that is commonly utilized by users. For example,if a user's watch has a wireless communications device, software may beincluded in the watch to provide a functionality similar to remotenotification device 230.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that remote notificationdevice 230 of FIG. 2 and remote notification device 130 of FIG. 1 is notlimited to use with cell phones. Such a remote notification device canprovide remote user signaling for other devices such as, for example,PDA's, laptops, beepers, non-wireless phones, radios, and GPS enhanceddevices.

An amplifier may also be provided in remote notification devices. Suchan amplifier would allow for stronger notifications to be transmitted toa user. For example, if a notification of an incoming call is providedas a ring or beep from a remote notification device, an amplifier canincrease the strength of the ring/beep.

Turning now to FIG. 3, system 300 is illustrated that includesautonomous notification sensing device 350 attached to cellular phone301. Autonomous-device 350 may be affixed to cellular phone 301 by, forexample, a glue or a tape. In this manner, autonomous device 350 may besold with a covered piece of glue or tape such that a user may affixdevice 350 to their cellular phone 300. Alternatively, device 350 may beattached to cellular phone 300 by, for example, velcro, clip, or otherfastening device. In this manner, a user may attach device 350 tocellular phone 300 when the user is remotely located from cellular phone300 (e.g., cellular phone 300 is in the user's purse or is in anotherroom).

Extension 321 may be included to electrically couple notification device330 to autonomous device 350. Extension 321 may be provided in a varietyof lengths. In one embodiment, extension 321 is between roughly a footand five feet long such that a user may easily attach notificationdevice 350 to the outside of a purse. Extension 321, however, may be ofany size. For example, extension 321 may be 50 feet long such that acell phone placed in a charger may have incoming call notificationsforwarded to a different room. In this manner, autonomous sensing device350, or any type of sensing device, may be included on a cell phonecharger. Extension 321 may be connectable to autonomous device 350and/or notification device 330. For example, female connection port 351may be included on autonomous device 350 that may be operable to receivea male connection port (not shown) located on extension 321. Instead ofextension 321, communication between autonomous device 350 andnotification device 330 may occur wirelessly (e.g., infrared, WiFi,bluetooth, etc.). Such a communication may be one-way (e.g., fromautonomous device 350 to notification device 330) or two-way (e.g., toturn autonomous device 350 OFF). Persons skilled in the art willappreciate that autonomous device 350 may also electrically couple withcellular phone 300 and communicate with it. Autonomous device 350,however, has a general benefit of being able to recognize alerts (e.g.,incoming call alerts) from any model/make of cellular phone with aparticular notification method like, for example, a vibrating mode.

Autonomous device 350 may sense an incoming call (or other alert) in avariety of ways. For example, autonomous device 350 may includevibration sensor 352 to determine when cellular phone 300 vibrates. Suchvibration sensors are widely known and may be, for example, in apiezoelectric-based or a mechanical, ball-in-tube-based configuration.Control circuitry to determine when a cellular phone vibration occursmay be included and may be located in either autonomous device 350 ornotification device 330. Such control circuitry may, for example, beable to distinguish ambient motion (e.g., the soft-motion of somebodywalking or a single hard-motion of a purse hitting a counter-top) from avibrating cell-phone motion (e.g., a high-frequency, hard, repetitiousmotion). Such control circuitry may be configured for use with aparticular phone and may have inputs that allow a user to adjust thesensitivity/operation of either device 350 or 330.

Light sensor 353 may be included in autonomous device 350 any may, forexample, determine when light emanates from display 398 orlight-emitting notification 397. In this manner, autonomous device 350may be attached over either display 398 or light-emitting device 397 inorder to determine when an alert occurs. Control circuitry may similarlybe included to determine when such an event occurs and may be utilizedto distinguish different events (e.g., when a cellular phone vibrates indifferent manners or emits light in different manners depending on thetype of alert). Other types of autonomous sensors may also be utilized.For example, sound sensor 354 may be included to determine when an alertoccurs.

Autonomous sensing device 350, or any sensing device herein, may also beprovided in a battery (e.g., a rechargeable battery) for cellular/mobilephone 300. For example, some batteries include a vibrating means thatproduces vibrations when, for example, an incoming call occurs. Asensing device may, in this manner, be utilized in a cell phone batteryto route a signal indicative of the incoming call (or alert) to a remotenotification device or sense a notification signal in the battery (e.g.,the vibrating of the battery). Such a device could also be electricallycoupled between all of, or a portion of, the communication path betweenthe cellular battery and cellular phone 300.

Notification device 330 may be similar to any notification devicedescribed in connection with, for example, system 100 of FIG. 1 orsystem 200 of FIG. 2. For inexpensive embodiments, notification device330 may include a single way to notify the user of alerts (e.g., anincoming call, calendar event, location-based alerts). In this manner,notification device 330 may include, for example, a light-emittingdevice that emits light of one or more colors. Attachment device 331 mayalso be included such that device 330 may be attached to a variety ofstructures.

Next is FIG. 4 where topology 400 is shown. Topology 400 includedsensing device 401 and notification device 450 that may be communicateto each other via communications channel 499. Any component of anotification device 450 may be included in sensing device 401.Similarly, any component of sensing device may be included innotification device 450. Alternatively, components of a cellular phonemay be included in either sensing device 401 or notification device 450.

Sensing device 401 may include, for example, one or more connectingports 402 and/or 403, tactile sensor 404, light sensor 405, sound sensor406, control circuitry 407, and battery 408. Notification device mayinclude, for example, one or more output devices 460, additionalcircuitry 470, and sources of electrical energy 480 (e.g., one or morebatteries). Output devices 460 may include, for example, display 461,vibrator 464, heater/cooler 465, speaker 462, or light-emitting device461 (e.g., an LED or other device that emits light). Additionalcircuitry 470 may include, for example, control circuitry 471,user-input devices 472 (e.g., an ON/OFF and/or volume switch) and memory473.

Process flow chart 500 is depicted in FIG. 5 and may be utilized in avariety of alert sensing, routing, and notification systems. Process 500starts at step 501 and moves to step 510, in which the process is idleuntil an alert is sensed. When an alert is sensed step 520 is initiatedthat routes the alert (e.g., that an alert occurred or that a type ofalert occurred), or a signal indicative of an alert/type of alert tostep 530. At step 530, the user is notified that an alert, or a type ofalert, occurred. Process 599 then ends at step 599. Person skilled inthe art will appreciate that many variations of process 500 may beutilized. For example, a step of determining the type of alert may beutilized. Alternatively, a step of accepting user input and configuringthe system based on that user input may be utilized.

Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the presentinvention is not limited to only the embodiments described. Instead, thepresent invention more generally involves providing a non-cell phonebased notification to a user of a cell phone activity or event (e.g., anincoming call). Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that theapparatus of the present invention may be implemented using othercontrol methods, notification techniques, attachment components, remotehosting devices (e.g., watch), and configurations. For example, bluetooth communication devices may be used as the wireless communicationsdevices. All such modifications are within the scope of the presentinvention, which is limited only by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for use with a mobile telephonic devicethat provides notification of an incoming call, said system comprising:a sensing device that is operable to be attached to said mobiletelephonic device, wherein said sensing device is an autonomous sensingdevices that senses user-perceivable signals from said mobile telephonicdevice and said sensing device provides communication signals indicativeof an incoming call; and a remote communication device configured toreceive said communication signals, wherein said communication deviceincludes a battery, said communication device is configured to providenotification signals that are only light-based, and said notificationsignals are dependent upon said received communication signals.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said sensing device and said remotecommunication device are electrically coupled via a wire.
 3. The systemof claim 1, wherein said communication signals are communicatedwirelessly.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote communicationdevice includes an input device.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein saidremote communication device includes memory.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein said sensing device includes a sensing device battery.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said remote communication device is a watch.8. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote communication deviceincludes a band.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein said remotecommunication device includes a first band and a second band.
 10. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said remote communication device includes abuckle.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote communicationdevice includes a first band, a second band, and a buckle.
 12. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said sensing device includes a fasteningdevice.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensing device includesa clip.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote communicationdevice and said sensing device are electrically coupled via an extensionbetween one and five feet in length.
 15. The system of claim 1, whereinsaid sensing device communicates one-way to said remote communicationdevice.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensing devicecommunicates two-ways with said remote communication device.
 17. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said remote communication device includes anON/OFF switch.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein said remotecommunication device is a watch and includes an ON/OFF switch.
 19. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said remote communication device includescontrol circuitry.
 20. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensingdevice includes control circuitry.